The Flyers will be down another forward on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild, as tenacious winger Zac Rinaldo has been officially labeled day-to-day with an upper-body injury according to general manager Paul Holmgren.

The injury is the second in as many days for the Flyers, who lost forward James van Riemsdyk to a concussion on Sunday.

Rinaldo, sitting second in the NHL in penalty minutes with 122, was hit in the face with a puck during Monday’s afternoon practice. Originally stated to be a game-time decision, the Flyers iced Rinaldo, who will be replaced by enforcer Jody Shelley on the team’s fourth line.

Rinaldo has a goal and four assists in 35 games. Shelley has an assist in 14 games

Considered one of the NHL’s leading injury reserves for the All-Star Game in Ottawa on Jan. 29, Flyers forward Scott Hartnell could still be on the outside looking in despite open spots.

With injuries to selected All-Stars, Minnesota Wild’s Mikko Koivu and Dallas Stars’ Jamie Benn, Hartnell, who is having a career season with 19 goals and 19 assists in 43 games, might still be behind unheralded but buzz-worthy Phoenix Coyotes forward Radim Vrbata, who has 22 goals and 15 assists in 45 games.

Helping Vrbata jump on the All-Star map is his three goals and assist in his last three games.

“There’s no directive to replace a Wild player with another unless he’s a worthy candidate,” said Wild beat reporter Michael Russo. “So I’m not so sure the Wild will have a representative anymore. I’d think Radim Vrbata gets the call or Scottie Hartnell.”

Another option to consider is the promotion of another Wild player in Koivu’s wake. Winger and former Senator Dany Heatley has been tagged as the only other consideration with 13 goals and 17 assists in 45 games. The move would also provide valuable drama to an otherwise drama-less event, as Heatley demanded a trade out of Ottawa in late 2009, causing immense bad blood with the city and its fans.

Florida Panthers forward Kris Versteeg could also be a name on the table, with 17 goals and 22 assists in 42 games.

It’s been nearly two months since Flyers captain Chris Pronger’s career took a turn for the concussed. On Nov. 21, he was placed on long-term injured reserve and was declared out for the remainder of the 2011-12 season with concerning and lingering concussion symptoms.

With the injury came a long silence, which was broken on Saturday night on the Flyers’ official Twitter.

“It is very, very tough right now,” Pronger said. “I don’t feel well and it hurts so much not to be playing.”

The heartfelt statement of frustration reaffirms thoughts that the 36-year-old is indeed done for the season, which includes playoffs. Like Keith Primeau before him, who retired because of concussion issues, the unwavering set of concussion symptoms also puts Pronger’s lustrous career in jeopardy.

Pronger participated in just 13 games and registered 12 points before being shut down because of the injury. Pronger has been described depressed and frustrated by Flyers staffers who have come in contact with the veteran.

According to an official team release on Saturday, forward James van Riemsdyk is ruled out “indefinitely” with a concussion.

“James was hit in the head in each of our last two games,” general manager Paul Holmgren said in the release. “He reported yesterday, not feeling like himself. He will be out indefinitely with a concussion.”

The injury is expected to have been suffered on Tuesday in Carolina against the Hurricanes then re-aggravated on Thursday against the New York Islanders. However, JVR did receive an illegal chicken-wing elbow from Ottawa’s Bobby Butler three games ago on Jan. 8.

Van Riemsdyk only played 10:32 of ice time against the Islanders on Thursday and was extremely limited toward the end of the contest.

With 11 goals and 11 assists in 37 games this season, van Riemsdyk is expected to be replaced by Zac Rinaldo for Saturday night’s contest against the Nashville Predators.

The Flyers’ left-winger has been the subject of rampent trade rumors, which could be halted with the new of this injury. The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 27, at 3 P.M.

In a world in which money equals expectation and investment influences tough decisions, the Flyers are struggling within themselves to find the path to goaltending righteousness.

With a magnifying glass on their seemingly cursed goalie situation, do they keep trying to kick start struggling Ilya Bryzgalov by shoe-horning him into chances? Or do they give second-year goalie Sergei Bobrovsky an opportunity to steal the starting job?

Earning one-goal wins in back-to-back games this week, Bobrovsky has made that decision easier for his club. Despite kicking the beehive of controversy, he has proven to be the go-to guy.

The framework of the rumored deal that has the Flyers sending winger James van Riemsdyk to the Toronto Maple Leafs for physical defenseman Luke Schenn, makes financial and positional sense for each team.

It took a spear to a sensitive area of Ottawa Senators forward Kyle Turris and cross check to the head of Flyers center Danny Briere to set the stage for the unlikeliest of fights.

With less than two minutes left in the second period on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center and with the game tied at one between the Senators and Flyers, immediately off the faceoff, Briere and Turris agreed to drop the gloves and settle a dispute.

About

Ryan Bright (Philabright@gmail.com) is a sports writer, born and raised in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of West Chester University, he has been with the Daily Local News in Chester County since early 2007, working as the paper's college and high school ice hockey beat writer. In 2010, began as a contributer for CSNPhilly.com, covering the Flyers and the Philadelphia Union.

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